


What Might Have Been

by MissCeles



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sakura makes a brief appearance, because post birthright Leokamu kills me and everyone else who loves them...., but i like to imagine this leads to more, but it's mostly poor Corrin and Leo, could be read as platonic, my poor broken babies..., you'll be okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 15:58:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14335971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissCeles/pseuds/MissCeles
Summary: She had visited Castle Krakenburg only once before, but everything had been different. Now, the halls were haunted not only by what was, but what could have been... if only she'd chosen differently. Post-Birthright.





	What Might Have Been

Castle Krakenburg felt even colder than it had before the war, that fateful day she'd first visited.

Corrin had not wanted to return. She had not planned to – but Leo's coronation was only a few days away, and he had written to her separately from the standard invitation to her family, asking her to come specifically. He wanted to see her – he and Camilla both. Corrin wasn't sure how she felt.

Oh, she wanted to see them, of course. How could she not? She longed for one of Camilla's comforting hugs, or the way Leo's lips would curve into the slightest of smiles when she met his eyes. Just as she yearned for Xander ruffling her hair. As she yearned for the sound of Elise laughing.

But she had lost those things – all of them. For there was no way Camilla would pull her close and wrap her in an embrace now, or that Leo would do anything but stare coldly at her. As for Xander and Elise... the funeral had been set for after Leo's coronation. Corrin wasn't sure if she could handle attending.

“Corrin?” Sakura's soft voice broke through her thoughts. Corrin blinked, and smiled warmly at her little sister, who matched her smile shyly. “Ryoma wants to go inside. Would you like us to wait, o-or...?”

“Go ahead,” Corrin assured her. “I'll catch up. I just want to look around by myself.”

The moment she was alone in the castle's entry hall, Corrin felt the world turn under her, and she had to clutch onto the door behind her to keep herself steady. She had held herself up as best she could all day, but gods, she was exhausted.

She focused on breathing, on calming herself down so that she could move beyond the door. For now that she was here, she _did_ want to look around. It was where she had longed to be for most of her life – how twisted it was that her wish had finally come true, yet the price paid had been so steep.

She moved through the castle slowly, peering behind closed doors, gazing up at the portraits lining the walls. Many of the rooms were dim, and dark, with grand yet cold furnishings. Only a few stood out to her in particular. A room she recognized as Xander's study simply by the objects sitting within. A parlour with Camilla's favourite flowers decorating it, clearly meant for her and her retainers. A music room, with a child size violin sitting, dusty, in the corner.

It was a violin that Corrin had seen Elise play when she was much younger. Corrin shivered as she looked around the rest of the room. There was a piano in the centre – maybe, just maybe, she could have played it for Elise if the world had been kinder. Maybe she would have listened to Elise play the violin – or they could have played together, finally accomplishing the difficult duet they'd often discussed trying. She sat within the music room for a moment, trying to picture Elise's smile, to hear Elise's violin – but all she could see was Elise's small body cradled by Xander. All she could hear were Elise's final words, ringing in her ear. Imploring Xander to be at peace. Imploring the _world_ to be at peace. What a price that peace had demanded.

She moved on, feeling as though a piece of her heart had been ripped out and was left behind on the piano bench. _Oh, Elise..._

She wandered further, though she'd lost heart in her exploration. Before, few rooms had truly reminded her of her siblings – now, it was as if she saw them everywhere she went. She could see Elise trailing Xander, Leo, and Camilla through the hallways, chattering excitedly. She could see Xander sitting with Camilla in a lounge, drinking Camilla's favourite blend of tea quietly together. She could see all four of them sitting together at the large dining table she stumbled across, sharing a meal and loving company. Traces of them lay everywhere, and Corrin hated it.

She especially hated how she could see herself fitting in so comfortably. She could see herself joining in one of their meals, or drinking tea with their siblings, or chattering back to Elise as they followed the others. As she passed a room clearly meant for training, she couldn't help but wonder if there was a world where she could cross swords there with Xander – not in war, as they had ended up, but simply to spar as they once had.

At last, she came to the library. She peeked inside, and her heart sped up in anticipation of what lay within – and in dread of what she'd find to remind her of what she'd lost. Steeling herself, she pushed open the door, and stepped inside.

The library was as vast as Leo had described it to her in their youth. She had always thought the library in the Fortress to be the most marvellous place in the world, a haven where she could explore other worlds through books. How envious she had been when Leo described the library at the castle – three times the size, he'd said, with books from the floor to the ceiling. One day, he promised, he would show it to her.

Oh, how he had downplayed its magnificence. Each bookshelf was made beautifully out of what looked like ebony, little designs carved into the shelves. It was certainly more than three times the size of the Fortress library – it absolutely dwarfed it in comparison. The shelves around her parted to form an upper ring, with a grand staircase leading to a lower level with even more shelves, and some tables for writing. Most of the tables were empty – they were likely unused during the war – but as Corrin descended the stairs, she noticed one had paper scattered over its surface, and several bottles of ink opened.

She knew she shouldn't examine it further – it was someone's work, clearly interrupted judging by the ink bottle sitting by a long piece of parchment, partially written on. It was probably meant to be private. But curiosity had always plagued Corrin, and she drew closer to the desk, eyes scanning its surface. A small stack of books sat by the paper, with titles written in a language unfamiliar to her. Several pens lay neatly in a row, organized by what seemed to be colour. But what drew Corrin's attention most was the item sitting just above the half-written paper.

An envelope, addressed to her. She recognized it as Leo's handwriting – elegant and clean, not a mark out of place. She reached out, but paused as she heard the door creak open behind her, her heartbeat picking up immediately.

“Oh!” she gasped, retracting her hand quickly. In her haste, she knocked her hand against an open bottle of ink, tipping it over and spilling its contents onto the desk and the envelope. “Oh, no no no-”

“Are you alright?”

Corrin exhaled sharply, whirling around and coming face to face with Leo. Her eyes widened as she looked away quickly, turning back to busy herself by trying to clean the spilled ink – though her hands shook so badly she could barely grip the bottle.

“Leo! I – aren't you meant to be greeting the others?” Corrin asked, averting his eyes.

“Camilla is with them. I took note of your absence, and the youngest princess said you had wanted to look around. I figured I'd find you here,” Leo said.

“It's good to know I'm still at least somewhat predictable,” Corrin sighed, as she moved the paper Leo had been writing out of the way of the ink. “Though there was no need to come find me.”

“I wanted to.”

Corrin didn't respond, and instead focused her attention on the paper. “Is this yours?” she asked shyly, glossing over the first few sentences. “I'm sorry – I spilled some ink, but I managed to save this document.”

“It is. That's perfectly alright – I make copies of everything I write, so it's no matter. I have that – and the rest of it – written in a notebook in my quarters,” Leo dismissed, moving to stand beside her. “Ah – the letter.”

“Was that a copy, too?” Corrin asked hopefully.

“I'm afraid not. But it doesn't matter. You're here, so I may as well speak with you in person about it anyway. I wanted to ask if you'd attend the funeral – not as a Hoshidan guest, but as a member of the family,” Leo asked her, his voice becoming very quiet.

Corrin felt as if her breath had been knocked out of her. “Leo, I – I couldn't possibly...”

“Please.”

“How could I? It's my fault. I couldn't do that. Not to the people of Nohr. Not to you... or to _them_ ,” Corrin said quickly, heart racing.

“Do not lose yourself to the past, Corrin.”

His words were a breath in her ear, and Corrin turned her head to meet his gaze. His warm eyes pleaded with her as his fingers wove through hers, clasping her hand. “You cannot change what happened.”

“It's not so much the past,” Corrin admitted, eyes flitting away from the intensity in his stare. “I've – you'll think me foolish, but as I've walked around the castle I can't seem to think of anything other than I've lost. That is, what could have been... if I'd chosen Nohr.”

“Corrin... Your decision was made. The consequences happened.” Leo's words were harsh, but as Corrin looked back up at him, she saw no ill will in his eyes. They remained gentle.

“You cannot know what it's like,” she murmured.

“We all made choices. I could have held Elise back from the Throne Room. I could have joined you when you asked. I could have-” his voice broke off, and he shifted his gaze away from her. “I know the consequences of my own decisions. But I must live with those consequences, and move on. As must you.”

“But Elise... Xander...”

“Would want you to live.”

“Would they?” Corrin breathed past the growing lump in her throat, slipping her hand out of Leo's. “When I brought such suffering? When I caused – you know...”

“You know they would,” Leo said firmly, reaching out to take her hand again and squeezing it tightly. “They loved you.”

 “But I betrayed them,” she whispered.

Leo did not reply to this – instead, he lifted her hand, pressing it to his lips and brushing it against them, a feather-light kiss. His other hand reached out to smooth her hair, and turned her head to face him. His eyes were filled with tears, reflecting Corrin's own tear-filled gaze.

“Do you think that really mattered to them in the end?” he murmured. “Do you think that still matters to Camilla and I? We've already lost so much – all of us. Please... don't let us lose each other. I... I miss you.”

“I miss you, too,” Corrin choked out, and pulled Leo into a tight embrace, burying her face in his shoulder as sobs began to wrack her body. “I'm so sorry, Leo... I'm so sorry...”

Leo's arms tightened around her, and he shook his head as she continued to apologize. He remained silent, running one hand through her long silver hair, the other stroking her back gently. They remained that way for several minutes, until Corrin's sobs had quieted into long, shuddering breaths, and she finally pulled back out of the hug.

“I forgive you,” Leo insisted. “I forgave you weeks ago. Please, Corrin... forgive me, too. For not trusting in you sooner. For losing the will to act near the end of the war. For taking so long to speak to you properly.”

“Of course I forgive you,” Corrin said immediately, sniffling as she gave him a small smile. “I – I was never angry with you to begin with.”

“Good,” Leo chuckled, wiping away a final tear with his thumb, his lips curving into the slightest of smiles. “Now, let's rejoin the others. There's much to discuss in the coming days.”

They left the library hand in hand, and as Leo led her back through the corridors, quietly pointing out rooms to her as they passed, Corrin felt the weight beginning to lift off her heart – not quite alright just yet, but on the path to healing.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I've tried to write a post-Birthright one-shot many, many, many,,, times before, but never quite was able to finish one. Guess all I needed was some insomnia and some post-Birthright feels courtesy of the magnificent works of other people in this fandom. 
> 
> This was... mostly really self-indulgent lol. I'm just amazed I actually finished it - I haven't been finishing anything in months. I'm not sure I'm 100% happy with this, but I'm just proud of myself for overcoming a severe lack of motivation.
> 
> Until next time! o/


End file.
